Salford: 0161 832 6677
Moston: 0161 205 3909
Middleton: 0161 654 6300
Ashton: 0161 470 4111
Wills and Probate
Wills
A will sets out in a legally binding document stating what will happen to money, property and possessions after death. It can include funeral wishes and can also be used to minimise Inheritance Tax. A properly drafted will can be difficult to overturn, and therefore it is important that it is thoroughly and carefully drafted.
Fixed Fee and Costs
Single Wills
Package 1
A Standard Will - £80.00 + vat - £96 in total
Package 2
A Standard Will with multiple specific gifts, legacies - £120.00 + vat - £144 in total
Package 3
A Complex Will which includes drafting provisions for a Trust eg. Life Interest Property Trust
£170.00 + vat - £204 in total
Package 4
A Complex Will which involves drafting discretionary trusts and trusts for disabled beneficiaries
£250 + vat - £300
Mirror Wills
Package 5
A Standard Mirror Will - £150.00 + vat - £180 in total
Package 6
A Standard Mirror Will with multiple specific gifts, legacies
£180.00 + vat - £216 in total
Package 7
A Complex Mirror Will with includes drafting provisions for a Trust eg. Life Interest Property Trust
£250.00 + vat - £300 in total
Package 8
A Complex Will which involves drafting discretionary trusts and trusts for disabled beneficiaries
£300 + vat - £360 in total
Included:
- Attending and advising you with regards to the preparation of your Will.
- Attending you with regards to the execution of the same.
- Sending correspondence to you confirming your instructions and advising you that the Will is ready for execution.
Not Included:
- Any expenses or disbursements e.g. fees payable to interpreters.
- Any unforeseen circumstances which would result in additional work e.g. lengthy correspondence or complex issues, we will advise you should this arise.
Probate matters
Probate is a term used to describe collecting and distributing a deceased’s estate after death. Probate technically refers to the document which gives the executors of a will the legal power to collect in (obtain from the relevant financial institutions) the estate. There is a similar process called “letters of administration” which is used when a person dies without a will although the process is very similar.
Probate Charges
General Advice meeting - £120 plus VAT (£144 in total)
- Up to an hours’ worth of advice in relation to probate matters
Standard Grant of Probate Application - A Fixed Fee of £495 plus VAT (£594 in total) plus Court fee of £300 (£1.50 per extra copy)
This is suitable for those who prefer to administer the estate themselves.
As part of our fixed fee we will:
- Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate caseworker to work on your matter
- Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
- Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
- Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
- Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
- Draft the Legal Statement for you to swear
- Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
- Obtain the Probate and send the appropriate number of Court Sealed copies to you
Typically, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes between 6 and 16 weeks.
Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets (Administration of Estate) – minimum £1,500 plus VAT plus Court fee of £300 (£1.50 per extra copy)
We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:
- There is a valid will
- There is no more than one property
- There are no more than 10 bank or building society accounts
- There are no other intangible assets
- There are 1-5 beneficiaries
- There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
- There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
- There are no claims made against the estate
Potential additional costs
- If the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
- Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.
Estimate of Costs
- Wherever possible we will try to calculate a fixed fee but in cases where this is not possible then it will be calculated on a ‘time spent’ basis at £150 plus VAT per hour (£180ph in total). Usually the costs equate to around 2%-3% of the total gross value of the estate.
- We anticipate this will take between 10 and 30 hours work at £150 per hour plus VAT at 20% (£180ph in total). Total costs estimated at £1500 - £4500 (+VAT at 20%).
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Not all disbursements will be necessary as each matter is different.
Additional disbursements maybe payable such as:
- Probate Court fee of £300.
- Swearing of the oath (per executor). Approx £10
- Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£1-£2 per beneficiary).
- Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors - £105
- Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims – Approx £100
Timescales can vary depending on the individual estate, obtaining the Grant of Probate takes between 6 and 16 weeks, collecting assets and dealing with liabilities can take a further 8 - 10 weeks and finalising the estate and distributing the assets between 3 - 4 weeks more.
Approximate Estimates & Rough Guidance
These figures are meant only as a guideline. The type of situations that can cause estimates to increase are if there are trusts involved or if there are multiple assets and/or bequests or if there are claims on the estate by individuals or the government in relation to more benefits being paid to the deceased during their life-time or if this firm is the Executor.
Our Team
Liz Walsh - Supervising Solicitor qualified over 24 years
Rob Read - Caseworker who is supervised by Liz Walsh
Lasting powers of Attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that appoints a person to help you make decisions or make decisions on your behalf.
You must be 18 or over and have mental capacity – the ability to make your own decisions – when the make LPA is made.
There are 2 types of LPA:
- Health and welfare
- Property and financial affairs
It will govern what the attorney can do, and how they will deal with matters if the person loses capacity to deal with all their own affairs.
Costs
- £395 plus VAT = £474 (health OR finances)
- £645 plus VAT = £774 (both)
There is also a Court fee - £82 (a Fee Remission form can be filled in) – if there are two LPAs the fee would be £164.
Home visits –if a client requires a home visit this will be charged at an additional £100 plus VAT = £120.00 per visit.
We are able to see clients at any of our 4 offices in Greater Manchester or we can make a home visit if preferred.
Call the team on
Salford:
0161 832 6677
Moston:
0161 205 3909
Middleton:
0161 654 6300
Ashton:
0161 470 4111